Haunted by the Past
by Persistence
Summary: Renji discovers an injured hollow during his first mission, and lets it live. Years later, he encounters an arrancar who is strangely protective of him. Yaoi RenIchi
1. Chapter 1

I really should be working on my paper instead of writing another fic (well semester is over in 2 weeks and I'll have the whole summer).

This story is completely AU: well you'll see why in this chapter.

Thanks so much to **Dream7** for betaing this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its wonderful characters!

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"This isn't so bad." The young Renji Abarai grinned as he walked side by side with Izuru and Momo in Karakura Town. He placed his hands behind his head, enjoying the fresh air and the opportunity to work with his two friends. They were hunting down hollows, and they'd been ordered to travel in groups since they hadn't graduated from the academy yet. They were to call for help if they ran into any problems, but most of the hollows they had run into had been easy to deal with.

"I thought they would have been more of a challenge…" Izuru whispered, looking off to the side. They had only faced four hollows so far, but he felt uneasy about how smoothly things had been going. He wondered if all of their classmates were having the same luck.

"Don't worry; I'm sure it's just a quiet night. Maybe next time we'll have more of a challenge," Momo said cheerfully while swinging her arms at her sides. As if in response to her words, the ground suddenly started shaking and they heard a loud shriek followed by shouts of surprise and fear. They all looked at one another for a split second before taking off down the street towards the source of the commotion. There, they found several other students backing away from one of the largest hollows they had ever seen.

"Is that…" Momo's eyes widened as she stared at the hollow; it was taller than most of the buildings surrounding them. She looked up at her two friends and saw that their eyes just as wide as her own. However, unlike many of the other students, they stood their ground.

"_No_!" a nearby girl shouted as she fell to her knees. They looked back at the hollow and saw it fling a second girl into a building. Her body slumped to the ground.

Up ahead they saw their mentor, Hisagi Shūhei, draw his zanpakutou as the hollow crushed another student beneath its massive claws. More roars sounded from behind them and they turned to see other hollows emerging. In unison, they drew their zanpakutou's and got into a defensive formation.

"Momo, since you're good at kido, maybe you should be defense and we'll be offense," Renji suggested quietly as two hollows began circling them. Shūhei was ordering the other students to run away, but there was no way the three of them could escape. And unfortunately, none of the other students spared a second thought for them as they ran for their lives.

Renji charged at the hollow in front of him. Luckily, it wasn't as large or as powerful as the one Shūhei was fighting. It swiped its claws at him, but he ducked and slashed its arm. "Renji!" Momo yelled when the hollow swung its tail at him. It nearly knocked him off his feet, but she cast a fireball at the hollow and blinded it.

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea," Renji muttered when the next swipe of his zanpakutou did nothing to the hollow. He knew they had tough skin, but the hollow kept bringing its arm and tail up to protect its mask.

He turned and saw that Izuru had managed to cut his hollow down and Momo was casting another kido spell at the hollow he was fighting. "_Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat! _Bakudō #9 Geki!" Momo yelled. A red barrier surrounded the hollow, paralyzing it and giving Renji the opportunity he needed to cut it down. He raced at the hollow and sliced through its mask. All three of them panted for breath as they watched it turn into particles and disappear.

They turned and started running again when screams sounded from somewhere behind them. They found two of their classmates struggling to run with heavy injuries while a hollow pursued them. Renji stopped for a moment when he heard a terrified scream coming from a different street.

"I'll be back!" Renji shouted to them. He knew he shouldn't separate from them, but he needed to see if he could help the person who'd been screaming.

He turned down a street to find a lot of fallen trees and three of his classmates lying in a pool of blood. "H-help," one muttered. The other two looked to be dead. Renji moved forward and knelt down next to the boy. He had never cared much for kido, but he suddenly wished desperately that he was better at it so he could help him.

"Don't worry; help is on the way," Renji promised him, but the boy's gaze shifted to the side and his eyes widened as his mouth dropped open. Renji frowned and looked up to see a hollow charging at him.

Renji rolled out of the way just in time to avoid being crushed by the bull-like hollow, and winced when it caught the injured student. A wave of guilt washed through him, but he didn't have time to think about it as the hollow had turned and was charging at him again. He raised his zanpakutou and slashed at it, but the hollow knocked him away like he was nothing.

He flew through the window of a small shop, scattering shards of glass onto the floor. He sustained several small cuts to his sides and arms, but nothing major. The hollow moved forward to finish him off like it had done with the other students, and he closed his eyes, wishing he hadn't left Izuru and Momo's sides. There were so many things he wouldn't be able to do now. He wanted to graduate from the academy and become a captain someday. More than anything, he wanted to talk to Rukia again. Noble or not, she had been his best friend since they were kids!

A loud shriek interrupted his thoughts, and he opened his eyes to see the hollow being attacked. Another hollow had jumped onto the bull's back and was clawing at it. As Renji watched, the second hollow viciously took a bite out of the other's neck. The redhead gulped and stood up slowly. He had never seen a hollow attack one of its own, but then again, they were heartless monsters. After everything he had seen that day, there wasn't much they could do that would surprise him.

The bull hollow grabbed its attacker and threw it off of him, giving Renji a better look at his accidental savior. It was a tall, unusually humanoid hollow with a muscular body and hole in the center of its chest. Its mask had a red design like a tattoo on one cheek. It had sharp talons on its hands and webbed feet, and a long tail covered in more red tattoos. What Renji found most surprising was the long, matted orange hair that grew out from behind the hollow's mask. He had been taught that most hollows lost all human features.

He took a step forward and noticed that there were cuts on the hollow's chest and arms; obviously, it had been fighting more than just this hollow. The bull hollow had its back to him and was instead focused on the lizard-like hollow.

The lizard hollow ran at the bull and clawed down its side while taking a bite out of the other hollows arm. Renji winced when the bull hollow's horns smashed into the lizard hollow and sent it flying back. The horns had left painful-looking wounds in the hollow's side, but it didn't give up and staggered back to its feet.

The lizard hollow raised two talons and began charging a cero. Renji took a step back. He had been taught that many strong hollows were able to perform this attack, but there was a huge different between reading about something and seeing it.

The bull hollow snarled and charged at the lizard, only to be vaporized by the cero. Renji's eyes widened as the hollow disappeared, leaving him alone with the lizard hollow. The large beast looked at him, and his trembling hand moved to his zanpakutou when it stepped closer to him.

He took a step back as it got closer, and continued moving until he hit the wall. This creature had just destroyed a hollow he'd been having problems with just by raising a few fingers. What chance did he have against it? He closed his eyes when the hollow stood in front of him. He wanted to try to fight back, but he couldn't move.

Renji heard a low growl and cautiously opened his eyes to see the hollow examining him. It raised one bone-white claw and turned his head the other way for its inspection. He had been studying hollows for months, but this kind of behavior had never come up. Was the hollow trying to determine if he was good enough to eat? For once, he wouldn't be insulted it he didn't make the cut.

The hollow bent its neck and rubbed its head against the side of Renji's cheek. Surreally, he could swear he could hear the hollow purring. This was beyond weird, but as long as he wasn't being eaten he wasn't going to complain. However, he did notice that in this position there was a good chance he'd be able to kill the beast, and he was tempted. His hand tightened around the hilt of his zanpakutou, but he never pulled it out. Even though this creature was like all the others that had killed his classmates, it had also saved him and killed another hollow. It didn't seem so bad.

Renji hesitantly raised his hand and placed it on the top of the hollow's mask. The hard bone was cool beneath his fingers.

He heard something off to his left, and the spell was shattered. The hollow bolted, and Renji could only watch as the hollow disappeared into the night.

He turned when he heard footsteps coming up behind him, and didn't have time to duck as a shoe was slammed into his face. He let out a small groan of pain and looked over to see a short girl with blond pigtails glaring at him while putting her shoe back on.

"Dumbass! You're not supposed to separate from your group! Weren't you paying attention?" lieutenant of the twelfth division, Sarugaki Hiyori, shouted at him with her unoccupied hand clenched in a fist.

"Now now, be nice," a friendly voice piped up from behind her, and Renji straightened up immediately at seeing the Urahara Kisuke, the twelfth captain of the Gotei 13. He'd figured that someone must have sent for help, but he hadn't been expecting a captain and a lieutenant to come.

"Whatever," Lieutenant Sarugaki snapped, and marched down past her captain. Captain Urahara scratched his head and smiled pleasantly.

"Are you alright?" Captain Urahara asked him, and Renji nodded quietly. He was somewhat subdued as he followed the short girl back to the other students.

He smiled when he saw that Momo and Izuru were all right, and were standing near the fifth division captain, Hirako Shinji, and the seventh division captain, Aizen Sosuke (whom Momo was admiring.) "About time you gathered everyone," Captain Hirako muttered, but was quickly silenced by a foot in the face from Lieutenant Sarugaki. The small group was soon taken back to Soul Society, crossing paths along the way with the fourth division shinigami who'd been sent to collect the injured and the dead.

**Years Later**

Renji sighed. Walking down the streets of Karakura Town once more, he couldn't help but remember everything that had happened the last time he'd been there. It had been years since that incident, and he hadn't thought of it as much as he'd expected to. Maybe it was because he'd been so focused on his goals and working so hard. He smirked at that; he was now the lieutenant of the sixth division. His captain was very stiff and didn't talk much, but he'd earned the respect of the others in the division and various other people he'd worked with.

He paused when he spotted someone crouching on the roof of a building. Smirking evilly, he quietly shunpo'd to the top of the building and snuck up behind the small figure. He bent down until he was looking over her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "I thought you were supposed to be guarding the city, not sightseeing."

Rukia yelped in surprised and whirled around to see her friend standing behind her. Her shocked face quickly turned into an angry one, and she glared at him irritably. "Don't sneak up on me like that! And I wasn't sightseeing; I was watching for hollows!" she protested, but Renji merely yawned to anger her further.

"Yeah, yeah. The head captain ordered me to keep you company and watch for any other hollow attacks, but according to the reports you sent in it's been quiet, right?" Renji said, and she nodded and folded her arms as she gazed upon the city.

"Once in a while there are hollows, but they're nothing big." She looked over at him, and her eyes softened. "Not like the ones you dealt with back when you were a student," she added, and he bowed his head. It was because of that incident that he had started talking to Rukia again. He had been so happy to walk away from the attack with his life, and she had come running to see him when she'd heard what happened.

"Hopefully it'll stay that way," he said, then grinned. "On the other hand, there's nothing I can't handle, so I hope I'll at least get a few challenges."

Rukia rolled her eyes. There was the cocky attitude again. Once he'd been made lieutenant, she'd never heard the end of it. Still, his company would make her mission more enjoyable. Perhaps she could help him with his kido and he could show her how to improve her zanjutsu.

The soul pager remained quiet throughout the night, but as Renji and Rukia peacefully discussed their assignment, a garganta opened across town. A figure who wore white robes and had a hole in the center of his chest stepped through and gazed upon the city. He was tall and had short, orange spiky hair. There were red tribal markings under his brown eyes. Those eyes narrowed as he scanned the area for beings with high reiatsu. Once he felt it was safe, he closed the garganta behind him. It had been years since he'd last been in this place, and he could use a rest from everything he'd been through. Hopefully this time he'd have a good amount of time to rest before he was hunted down again.

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**This storyline is different from the main. For one, Aizen is not going to betray the Soul Society or be evil and well, as you can see, Ichi is an arrancar. Also, Urahara is still in the Soul Society since he was not exiled and some of the vizards are captains while some retired**. I am not too sure about the title for this fic so it might change.

Every semester towards the end when my mind is about to blow up from stress, ideas pop into my mind and I end up writing more than studying (well writing the fing papers! I don't see why these papers have to be 10-15 pages long and in the smallest font possible. Last rant, whoever made APA formant is on my hate list!). And well, this story is a creation of my latest stress.

Thanks for reading, hope ya enjoyed the first chapter, and please review


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I wasn't expecting so many people to say this was good (and I didn't get a flame woohoo!!) Cookies for everyone!

Special thanks to **Dream7** for betaing this chapter!

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Renji slept soundlessly in the extra bedroom of the abandoned shop Rukia was staying at. Captain Urahara had specifically designed it for those who needed somewhere to stay when assigned to patrol the city. A barrier surrounded it that alerted the shinigami inside if a hollow approached, and gave any humans who saw it the urge to stay away. Of course, Captain Urahara had some conditions that he expected any shinigami staying there to meet, such as keeping the place clean and taking care of any other tasks that needed doing; he would send a report to any shinigami staying in town.

Rukia sighed when she slid open the door to Renji's room and found him still asleep. She wondered whether he always slept this late while on duty or if he thought he was on vacation. She shook her head as she stepped into the room and looked down at Renji's peaceful sleep for a moment before grabbing his blankets and yanking them off of him. Unfortunately, this did not produce the results she'd been hoping for, and the redhead simply turned on his side and clutched his pillow closer.

"Get up!" Rukia yelled before kicking him in the back. His eyes popped open and he yelped in surprise. He glared over at his friend. There was a small smirk on her face, and her arms were folded across her chest in satisfaction.

"What the hell is your problem?" Renji growled as he rubbed his head. The sunlight streaming through the window and the sound of birdsong told him that it was way past morning.

"We have other duties besides sleeping, Lieutenant Abarai. Now take a shower and get dressed and I will show you around town," she ordered before leaving. Renji narrowed his eyes as the short girl left. He had been having such an enjoyable sleep, too.

He yawned once more before standing up and grabbing a clean shihakusho on his way to the bathroom. He shut the door and went over to the shower to turn the water on so it would be nice and hot when he got in. He tossed the shihakusho on the sink and proceeded to strip his clothing off. After he tested the water and found it was just perfect, he stepped inside and closed the curtain behind him.

He started to wash up while his mind drifted to the previous night. After an uneventful evening watching over the town, they'd returned to the shop to get some sleep. Occasionally he would have dreams about his childhood or becoming a captain or nightmares of endless paperwork, but last night's dream had been different.

He had dreamt he was fighting a bunch of hollows, and each time he killed one three more would take its place. He was starting to become overwhelmed by the hollows when a cero flew out of nowhere and destroyed them all. He looked over and saw the hollow that had saved him all those years ago. He stayed motionless as the creature walked towards him. It cocked its head to the side before wrapping its tail around him to bring him closer to its broad chest. He could hear what sounded like purring coming from the hollow as it nuzzled his neck.

The hollow was as gentle with him as it had been the first time they'd met, but it soon stopped when they heard angry voices and Renji saw some other shinigami racing towards them with their zanpakutou's drawn. The hollow pushed Renji behind it to protect him and charged at the shinigami. Renji opened his mouth to tell them to stop, but his voice was mute and he couldn't do a thing as the hollow was killed in front of him. The shinigami turned towards him and started accusing him of being a traitor for allowing a hollow to live, and that was when Rukia had kicked him in the back.

Renji opened his eyes, turned the water off, and grabbed a towel to dry off. He got dressed, put his hair up, and put a headband around his forehead before leaving the bathroom to find Rukia waiting for him.

"You ready?" Rukia asked, arching an eyebrow as he stretched his arms.

"Can't we eat first? I'm starving!" Renji muttered, and groaned when Rukia shook her head 'no.'

"We'll get something while we patrol since Captain Urahara charges extra for everything taken from the refrigerator." Rukia sighed and walked towards the door, leaving Renji staring at the refrigerator with a dejected expression on his face. His stomach was growling and he really wanted to eat.

"Come on," Rukia called, breaking off his thoughts of just taking the food anyways. Renji followed her and allowed her to show him around town now that it was light out.

The town had definitely changed over the years. The buildings were sturdier, people were wearing different clothing, and technology had obviously become more advanced. "Captain Urahara sent gigai's for us just in case, but so far I haven't had to use mine. You should try yours on when we get back to make sure it fits and to get used to the feel," she told him, but noticed he was paying more attention to a restaurant they were passing than her words. She could practically see the drool sliding down his chin.

Rukia sighed and grabbed his arm to lead him over to a small store. She normally got her food there because Hanatarou, a young shinigami from the fourth division, had been assigned to do a report on what humans go through in their day-to-day lives and was working there as part of his research. He generally allowed any shinigami to take what they needed, though the missing items usually came out of his paycheck.

"Here." Rukia handed Renji a rice ball and unwrapped her own to take a bite out of it. The redhead stared down at the weird shape; they definitely made them different here than they did in Seireitei. He took a bite out of it anyway, figuring it was better to try something new than to listen to his stomach growl all day.

"Oh and this is a juice box!" Rukia said proudly as she handed him a small rectangular box with a colorful design on it. A small straw was attached to it, and Renji just stared at it wondering how he was supposed to drink from it.

"Uhh..." Renji started poking at the sides of the juice box with the straw, and was about to stab the stupid thing when Rukia took it from him.

"I was watching a few kids, and I learned how to open it. Watch," she told him, taking the straw and poking it through the small area on the top. It went in easily.

"I would have figured it out eventually," Renji muttered, grabbing the juice box. He took a sip and was surprised to find that it wasn't half bad.

"So how have things been in your division, Lieutenant Abarai?" Rukia asked as the two began walking down the street. People passed by them without a glance, unaware that they were even there and continuing on with their lives without ever knowing that the shinigami were protecting them from hollows.

"It's going good, of course," Renji told her with a grin. "Whenever I walk into a room, everyone stands up to greet me and takes me seriously. Well … almost everyone." He sighed at the thought of his captain. The man always ordered him around and seemed so cold and distant. Every time he attempted to start a conversation, it was cut off almost before it began.

"Nii-sama?" Rukia asked, though she already knew the answer. She glanced over and saw Renji shake his head. "Don't feel bad; he isn't very talkative," she told him, knowing firsthand how her brother could be. She'd spent years sitting in silence because she was afraid to speak out of turn and get punished by the Kuchiki elders for speaking to him. On the very few occasions he did speak, she was to keep her head bowed and not look at him.

"Yeah I noticed," Renji muttered, folding his hands behind his back. His captain had sent him to Karakura Town to keep an eye on Rukia. Well, his actual words were "make sure she doesn't dishonor our family name," but he'd never tell her that. He had to admit that his captain was good looking, but he was a real asshole at times. He always made Rukia feel as if she were worthless or not good enough to be a Kuchiki. Most of the shinigami in the sixth division either admired him for his strength or feared him for his cold demeanor.

"So how have things been here?" he asked her with a yawn. This place was fairly boring. He'd seen Rukia check her pager a few times, but so far there hadn't been any alerts.

"It's been okay. Very quiet with the exception of a few hollows." She shrugged as they came to a stop in front of a crosswalk. "Renji, if I ask you something will you answer truthfully?" she finally asked, and he looked down at her in surprise. They had been friends since childhood, and he knew he could never hide anything from her; nor she from him.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked, and she looked down as if gathering her thoughts. He watched her for a few more seconds before she finally spoke.

"They sent you here because they think I am weak, didn't they?" Rukia finally asked him, and Renji stared down at her in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" He put a hand on his hip. She looked up at him and her eyes met his. He could tell from the hurt expression in her eyes that she already knew at least part of the truth.

"You know what I am talking about. They have never sent a lieutenant to help out the shinigami that watches over this town before. I have had no problems so far, and until now I hadn't questioned myself in years." She sighed and shook her head. She had been devastated when she had been told she wasn't to be a seated officer. However, Lieutenant Shiba had helped her rebuild her confidence in herself, and it had helped when Renji began talking to her again.

"Listen, it doesn't matter what they think; you're strong. Hell, we survived living on the streets for years before we even entered the academy; there aren't a lot of other shinigami who can say that," he told her proudly, but she still seemed down. He sighed as they began walking once more. He knew she was strong, and he didn't understand why Captain Ukitake never gave her a promotion. She deserved to be fifth or sixth seat at the very least.

"I guess I thought I was--" Rukia began to mumble, but Renji smacked her in the back of the head. The black haired girl clutched her head and glared at her friend with a surprised and angered expression. "What was that for?" she yelled, rubbing her head.

"I am sick of you moping around. I have my strengths and you have yours. How about instead of whining about it, we teach each other how to improve? You teach me kido, and I'll help you with combat," he suggested, and Rukia glared at him as she continued rubbing her head for a few moments.

"You haven't changed one bit," she whispered, and he looked down at her in confusion. Was that a compliment or an insult? "Growing up, we would always use our strengths to survive on the streets. You would distract the clerks while I grabbed the food. I suppose it would be best for both of us to know each other's strengths." She smiled, feeling slightly better than before.

"Hey that's what friends are for." Renji smiled down at her as they continued walking down the street. Unknown to them, as they passed by a building they awoke the lone figure residing in it.

Ichigo opened his eyes when he felt a foreign reiatsu signature pass by, and quickly shot to his feet with his zanpakutou in hand. He had his reiatsu sealed so no one would sense him, but that didn't mean that no one was looking.

He took a few steps towards the broken wall of the abandoned warehouse he had made his temporary home. He could feel two signatures, and they were close by headed in the opposite direction. However, their reiatsu didn't feel dark and murky like a hollow's or arrancar's; it felt light and brushed against his senses with a gentleness he was unaccustomed to. The only other times he had felt something like this were the times he had encountered shinigami. Once in a while a few turned up who believed they were strong enough to enter Hueco Mundo to kill a few hollows, but those missions always ended in death. He himself had encountered two shinigami who believed themselves brave enough to enter Hueco Mundo. They had been foolish…

Like his friend Nel, Ichigo had never been very interested in devouring humans or shinigami. So when the shinigami had tried to attack him, he'd merely avoided the attacks and tried to knock them out without causing too much harm. Of course, that was when _he_ appeared.

_You'll never be free of me. _Ichigo shivered; he could still hear the bastard's voice in his head. He shook his head. No. He was wrong; he had broken free from him, and that was why he had come to Karakura Town. It was an empty town besides the occasional hollow, so no one would notice him there.

He jumped from the window and landed on a smaller building before leaping up onto the rooftops to follow the shinigami. He wanted to know what he would be dealing with if he ever had an encounter with them. Besides, it was always good to look for weaknesses in those who were potential threats.

Ichigo peered over the side of a building and gazed down at the sidewalk to see the shinigami walking by the side of the road. The girl didn't look like she would be too much trouble, but he still didn't intend to let his guard down. Sometimes appearances were deceptive.

The other shinigami was tall, had red hair tied into a ponytail, and was heavily tattooed on his face and arms. Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he felt a sense of deja vu wash over him. Even his reiatsu seemed familiar, yet he couldn't place it. He hadn't left Hueco Mundo in years, and the only shinigami he'd encountered were those stupid enough to venture into the land of the hollows.

Ichigo's eyes widened. The last time he had come to this town he had encountered a shinigami boy that was being attacked by a hollow. He had been wandering around the area aimlessly killing off any hollows he encountered, and when he had seen the boy some sort of instinct from deep within him had been triggered. He had destroyed the hollow in a matter of seconds. Then there was the red haired boy. He had looked so terrified, but that was definitely be understandable considering how young the kid had been and how scary he had probably looked. He remembered that the boy's scent had been warm and spicy, and it had called to him. He didn't know why he hadn't sensed it before; that same lingering scent filled the air, thought it was tempered by the coolness of the girl's scent. It called to him, but he resisted the temptation. He was not here to socialize; he was here to wait until Stark told him it was safe to go back to Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo sighed as he turned around to go back to the warehouse. He was not a stalker and he didn't need to waste his time following a shinigami around town.

He got to the edge of the building and was about to leap to the next when he turned around and bit his lip. His common sense told him not to take any unnecessary risks, but he desperately wanted to follow the redhead around and learn more about him. His instincts were telling him to give in and follow the shinigami, and in the end they always won. He sighed in defeat and turned around. So, he was going to be a stalker today.

**Hueco Mundo**

"You can't do this to me!" a voice rang out through the white halls of Las Noches. Several arrancar stopped to watch with an amused expression on their faces as a figure was dragged by two others towards the door.

"Baraggan-sama has no use for a weakling like you," Ggio Vega sneered as he and Findor Carias dragged an arrancar with short black hair towards the door. It was their job as lord Barragan's loyal fraccion to get rid of any trash that would not suit his army. This arrancar was nothing but a weakling, and they didn't want their lord to have to deal with him.

"You might as well stop struggling unless you want us to just kill you right here," Findor suggested with a grin, and the arrancar quieted down. They reached the door and kicked it open to reveal the empty sands of Hueco Mundo. The two fraccion threw the young arrancar into the sand, but not before one last taunt.

"Maybe if you got stronger you could come back, but I highly doubt that," Ggio laughed. They turned and the door slammed behind them.

Luppi narrowed his eyes at the door. How dare they kick _him_ out of Las Noches. Those arrancar had no idea what they were getting into, and he'd make them regret those words. Of course, lord Baraggan probably had no idea what was going on, and there was a way he knew he could get back in…

Luppi turned away from Las Noches and took a few steps before opening a garganta with a small smirk. Every arrancar and hollow knew that shinigami were currently residing in Karakura Town; that was the reason why many avoided the area. However, if he were to bring the heads of these shinigami back to lord Baraggan, he was sure he'd be back within the lord's good graces. And then he'd make sure those idiots were tossed out on their asses with everyone watching.

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A/N: I'm kept majority of the arrancar from the series the same (except there are no espada numbers) and Baraggan is the hollow king until he dies of a heart attack or develops dementia and forgets where he is and begins attacking his guards -_-

I will try to update as soon as I can, but May is probably busier month for me than April (and more stressful). Once June comes, I'll be able to update a lot more! Also chapters will be much longer in the future

Hope ya enjoyed the chapter ^^


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much to all the wonderful people who reviewed the previous chapter! I am sorry that this fic took so long to update. I have not forgotten about it, nor will I abandon this fic. In fact, this is my number one favorite storyline and am actually really excited to write it. It is a bit on the long side, but I won't rest until it is completed!

Special thanks to the ever wonderful **Panruru** for betaing this chapter!

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The sun was hidden behind heavy grey clouds that lay scattered across the sky. The forecast had called for rain in the afternoon with chances of hail, and for the ordinary people driving in their cars this was a cause for concern. They raced down the streets, intending to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. None of them knew of the rip that had opened in the sky before the lone figure of Luppi stepped out of the garganta and gazed upon them.

The black haired arrancar placed a hand behind his head and looked down at the city, but he wasn't interested in the worthless humans. Instead, he shielded his reiatsu and searched for any sign of the shinigami that were living in the area.

A small smile formed on his lips as he thought of the expressions on everyone's faces when he brought back a dead shinigami. If he was really lucky he'd be able to find a captain, but he wasn't picky. He knew how much Lord Baraggan despised the shinigami; all the arrancar did. He would be a hero in their eyes and allowed back into Las Noches, maybe even become one of Lord Barragan's generals. That would teach…

"Huh?" Luppi looked off into the distance. He could sense other hollows wandering the streets. It was odd for them to come out in the day, but that was not what was important. There were two shinigami in the area, one obviously more powerful than the other. He could feel the shift as one of them left, leaving the more powerful one behind to move towards the hollows. A small smirk played across his face as he sonido'd in that direction. It would be easier to fight one than two, though if the weaker one came back it wouldn't really be a problem.

This was definitely his lucky day.

* * *

Renji huffed and folded his arms. It was just like Rukia to yell at him just for suggesting he help her take out a group of hollows that had appeared downtown. Like usual, she'd protested that she didn't need any help because she wasn't weak. He hadn't been implying that at all, but she'd taken it the wrong way and told him that if she needed help she would call for him. (Of course, she'd hastened to add, it would not be needed).

He sighed and leaned against a grocery store watching as people hurried in and out, unaware of his presence. He didn't care much for this mission. Rukia was more than capable of handling herself. Everyone in her division knew it; her friends knew it; he knew it; but Captain Kuchiki refused to acknowledge it. If he knew he was allowing Rukia to take care of the hollows by herself and was letting her face them alone, the humorless captain would have his hide. Luckily, today was the monthly captain's meeting and his captain would be too busy to notice him slacking off in his duties. The only plus side was that he got to hang out with Rukia, something he hadn't done in years … not since their days in the academy and their years living on the streets of Rukongai. It was nice to see her, and he enjoyed irritating her in the way only he could.

His eyes suddenly narrowed and he pulled away from the building when he felt a strange presence. He searched through the crowd of people, but none of them were radiating that signature. It felt foreign, like a mixture of shinigami and hollow – mostly hollow. His eyes searched the area, and it was sheer luck that allowed him to see a red beam of light directed at him in time to jump out of the way.

The humans screamed as part of the grocery store exploded inward, and they began to panic and run as far away as possible. Renji scanned the crowd in the direction the light – the cero – had come from, and his eyes widened when he finally glanced up at a building and saw an arrancar smirking down at him with his (or her?) sleeve covering his mouth.

"What the hell is an arrancar doing here?" Renji muttered to himself as he pulled Zabimaru out and held it to his side, waiting for the arrancar to make its next move. Arrancar rarely showed their faces outside of Hueco Mundo, mostly because some of them were deformed from the transformation they'd undergone after breaking off their mask and wouldn't survive. Even the stronger ones usually stayed there and fought over territory, though once or twice each century one would come to the human world to make trouble. At least, that was what he'd learned at the academy. He had never encountered one before, nor had anyone he knew. He'd heard they were strong, some even bordering captain class, and so he knew he'd have to take this arrancar very seriously.

"You got lucky there; guess I'll have to work on my aim." Luppi smirked down at the shinigami before pulling out his zanpakutou and holding it in front of him. He smirked one last time before sonidoing in front of the shinigami and slashing at him. Renji was just able to get his sword up in time to block the attack.

"Who the fuck are you?" Renji cursed, pushing the arrancar back before releasing his zanpakutou into its Shikai form.

"My name is Luppi Antenor, but you don't need to know that because you only have a short time left to live," the arrancar mocked, and Renji glared at him. This guy had been fighting him for less than two minutes and he already found him annoying and cocky. On the other hand, he might be able to use it to his advantage...

Two buildings away, Ichigo narrowed his eyes at the pair. He'd been following the shinigami all day. He'd watched as they'd walked around town and done nothing remotely interesting, though his main focus was the redhead. He interested him in a way no other had before, and he wanted to learn more about him without actually approaching him. He wasn't stupid; he knew the shinigami would probably attack him on sight. Besides, the last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself and for _him_ to be alerted to his location.

He watched as the smaller shinigami pulled out her phone and argued with the redhead for a few minutes before leaving him alone. Now he could finally devote all his attention to the shinigami that interested him and had been calling out to him without realizing it. There was something strange about his scent. It filled Ichigo's senses to the max and made him crave to be near the lieutenant.

The moment of peace was disturbed when someone fired a cero at his shinigami. Ichigo narrowed his eyes angrily and located an arrancar that had invaded the town and dared to attack the redhead. His eyes narrowed further when he recognized Luppi standing smugly on a building across the way. The idiot was nothing but a coward who manipulated people to get ahead despite being weak.

_Bet I could get a lot of points for taking him out. Heck, it might even settle my debt. _He smirked and leaned off the edge of the building and away from the shadows, careful to keep his reiatsu in check so no one could detect him. He watched as the arrancar attacked his shinigami, but the redhead defended himself with ease so Ichigo sat back.

Luppi wasn't much of a threat; he was more talk than show. It was surprising that Baraggan had allowed him to serve him, and he wondered if the King of Hueco Mundo had sent Luppi out on a mission to kill the shinigami. Most arrancar hated them, but none had dared to attack one in years. No, it had to be Luppi's own doing. Baraggan may have been arrogant, but he wasn't stupid enough to start a war with the shinigami.

Ichigo sat back in the shadows and watched as the redheaded shinigami fought against Luppi. He was impressed that the shinigami was able to hold his own, but then again, it would be a sad day indeed when Luppi got the upper hand. He decided to continue watching the fight for now. It wasn't like there was anything for him to do but hide anyway, and the thought of doing that annoyed him more than anything. Though it was better than the alternative.

**Soul Society**

"I think you might have had enough, Rangiku-san," Momo whispered to her friend, but Rangiku merrily waved her off and took another shot of sake along with Izuru and Shuuhei. The younger girl simply sighed and placed her elbow on the table as she watched her friends take their third, fifth, or maybe it was their eighth shot of the night. With them, it was impossible to keep count and better to just drag them out when they finally gave up and passed out.

"Nonsense, as long as there is sake in this bar, we will keep drinking," Rangiku cheered before hiccuping and covering her mouth. Izuru and Shuuhei wholeheartedly agreed, and sluggishly raised their cups in the air before downing another glass. "Besides, we got to keep our little friend here happy since his little crush is out of town," she teased, and delightedly noticed a slight blush spread across Shuuhei's face as he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Huh? who?" Momo asked innocently, looking between the two men. It was hard to decipher who the woman was talking about since both of their faces were flushed from the booze and they were both swaying in their seats. However, when she saw Shuuhei glare at Rangiku – maybe he had something in his eye? – she figured it was him. Besides, Izuru would be too shy to reveal his crush to anyone out of embarrassment.

"Who didn't know?" Rangiku gasped, and turned to look down at the girl sitting next to her. She covered her mouth and chuckled drunkenly, and Momo simply shook her head. Leave it to Rangiku to spill the beans on other people's business. Of course, Shuuhei could have stopped her at any time. Everyone knew the best way to shut the woman up was to throw a bottle of sake and watch her chase after it.

"Shut up," Shuuhei muttered. He took his cup in his hands and finally began sipping the sake instead of downing it in one gulp. He watched as Momo turned to look at him in surprise, and her eyes widened before she folded her hands under her chin excitedly.

"Oh my god, who do you have a crush on? Is it your captain? Captain Muguruma is kind of good looking and I heard a rumor you had a crush on him, but lieutenant Mashiro went into a hissy fit and wouldn't allow you near him," Momo revealed, making Shuuhei scowl and blush at the same time. He finally lowered his cup and shot one last glare at Rangiku, who was snickering at the scene.

"No," Shuuhei sighed and stared down at his cup. It was true that he adored his captain, but he knew his captain didn't feel that way towards him or anyone else in his division. He also knew that if he told Kensei he was in love with him, he'd probably get a kick in the face for his effort before getting tackled by Mashiro just for talking to him. It was just better to move on and forget those feelings. Besides, he didn't need Mashiro pouncing on him in the morning with wake up calls and trying to take naked photos of him again. "It's someone else," he whispered. He turned his head away and noticed that Izuru had stopped drinking and was now staring at his friend.

"Then who…" Momo asked curiously before Rangiku pulled the younger girl closer and grinned at the third seat of the ninth division.

"He likes Renji," she whispered, and received another glare for the comment. Momo's eyes widened as she placed a hand over her mouth, and Shuuhei couldn't figure whether she was laughing at him or trying to cough something up. Whichever it was, he felt insulted.

"Sorry," Momo cleared her throat and smiled at her friends. "I think you two would look cute. Are you ever going to ask him out? I know he's single ... or is he dating his captain?" she asked, raising a finger to her chin and turning to Rangiku.

"Nah, that was just a rumor we started up in the Woman's Shinigami Association. We saw them leaving Captain Kuchiki's office together, but we couldn't find any proof that anything happened," she sighed before taking another sip of sake. "Besides, Captain Kuchiki threatened us if we continued to take pictures of him," she added sourly.

"I can't believe you haven't asked him out yet," Izuru stated, and the three looked over to his flush face and could see he must have had too much alcohol. "You've been telling me you love the guy for months; just ask him out already." He swayed back and forth before his head hit the table with a thump.

"I can't, he's on a mission right now and don't know when he'll be back," Shuuhei muttered and leaned back in his seat. He rested his right arm on the back of the chair and stared down at his cup. He'd had the perfect chance to ask the redhead before he left too, but he'd blown it. He'd personally seen Renji to the gates but hadn't been able to work up the nerve to ask him. Maybe it was because Renji was so excited about meeting up with his friend Rukia again and he didn't want to interrupt the lovely redhead's thoughts. Besides, he was going to be gone for a while so it wasn't like they'd be able to go out or anything. It was really much better if he waited until Renji came back.

The four of them heard the door to the bar slam open, and a girl with shoulder length black hair stepped in with an angry scowl on her face. Everyone in the bar immediately averted their eyes as she scanned through the crowd before muttering under her breath and heading for the counter to place her order.

"Sake, now!" she demanded, slamming her hand on the counter hard enough to make the bartender jump and nearly drop the cup he was cleaning. Shaking with nerves, he quickly rushed to fulfill her order in hopes of avoiding her wrath.

"Again?" Momo shook her head as she watched the other girl order, then take the cup into her hand and quickly down the sake. "Excuse me," she told her friends before getting up and going over to the girl who was drinking like a fish. She sat down next to her, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Hey Karin, how are things?" Momo asked quietly, and almost jumped when the glass slammed on the table.

"Horrible. That idiot forgot to do his paperwork and it's all due tomorrow, so I had to spend all of yesterday and today trying to get it done in time. And what does he do? He tries to give me a hug saying 'oh, daddy forgot and he loves you' crap! Its bad enough I have to put up with him at home, but I also have to deal with him at work! And I can't even transfer out of the fucking division!" Karin Kurosaki scowled and downed another shot of sake. Momo frowned and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Maybe you could ask…" she tried, but Karin waved her off.

"There is no one I can ask. I'm stuck in this division for life," she sighed, and looked down at her glass sadly. She finally turned her head to look at the other girl and lowered her gaze.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it's just…" Karin sighed before Momo rubbed her shoulder.

"I know, I understand. Maybe we could go out whenever you have a free night or you can escape from your father," Momo suggested, thinking it would be good to get Karin out of her division and associating with other people.

"We'll see. I have assessments to do all this weekend and I have to make reports on the progress of twenty members of our division," she sighed with a shrug.

"Well, you know where to find me if you ever want to go out," Momo smiled at her and finally was able to get Karin to crack a smile.

"Thanks," Karin replied, then turned her attention to the bartender. "Did I say stop? Give me another!" She slammed her fist down on the counter, and he hurriedly poured her another drink.

"Hey Momo, we're going now if you want to come," Rangiku said from behind, holding up a drunken Izuru. Shuuhei was standing beside the pair, swaying on his feet. It would probably be best for her to go with, just in case the men passed out along the way or Rangiku herself turned out to be less steady than she looked.

"Okay, I'll catch up," Momo called before turning back to Karin. "I'll see you around," she promised, then hopped off her stool and followed her friends out the door. For once, she was glad she'd stayed sober as she watched them trot down the road with varying degrees of success. Shuuhei was using the buildings for balance while Rangiku kept taking steps in the wrong direction.

"So, what's with her?" Shuuhei asked, catching up with them when they finally chose to take a break. Well, more like when Izuru began throwing up. "She always seems so mean, and all I've heard from Mashiro is that Karin is a 'meanie poo' and I shouldn't talk to her," he said, and Momo sighed and shook her head.

"Yeah, she hasn't been very friendly to me. Sometimes I ask her to come out with us after our lieutenant meetings, but she always turns us down along with your friend," Rangiku stated, resting against a building and turning her head to see that Izuru was finally recovering.

"You guys have to promise not to tell anyone I told you this. Not many know and I only heard it from my captain…" she whispered and looked down at the ground.

"Of course; we're good at keeping secrets," Rangiku cheered while the others looked at her questioningly. "Okay, I promise on all the sake in the world that I will not repeat what you tell us." She crossed her arms over her chest in frustration.

"Well as you guys already know, Karin's captain is her father, Captain Isshin Kurosaki," Momo began when Rangiku smirked along with the others.

"Of course, he's pretty fun. He comes to every party in Seiretei," Rangiku stated. The overly friendly captain who was one of the few who knew how to have a good time.

"Well, they're a noble family, one of the oldest. They've been keeping to the same traditions the Kuchiki's have where every captain of the tenth division has to be a Kurosaki. They're not as stuck up as a lot of nobles are, and they've always been very friendly. Well, except for Karin…" Momo played with the fabric of her hakama as sadness seem to take over her voice.

"She doesn't want to be part of that division. She wants to make something of herself separate from her status as a Kurosaki, right?" Shuuhei guessed, crossing his arms over his chest. It wouldn't be the first time he'd heard a story like that. Many nobles who'd been confined to tradition from a young age had tried to break away from that role, though it usually ended badly. Generally, the person either ended up giving in and conforming to tradition or being kicked out of the family.

"Well, it's kind of like that but it also isn't." Momo bit her lip as the others stared down at her, waiting for her to continue. "You see, over a hundred years ago Karin had an older brother that was supposed to take the position she's in now. He was supposed to eventually take over the position of captain of the tenth division when Captain Kurosaki retired. From what I heard, he had great potential to be one of the strongest captains in the Gotei 13, even at a young age. There wasn't anyone who didn't like him. Then one day, he and his mother were going for a walk when they were attacked by some hollows that had invaded the area. You guys know Masaki Kurosaki, the lieutenant of the fourth division? She's pretty powerful for a member of the fourth division, and she was able to cut the hollows down before they could touch her son. However, she hadn't counted on another huge hollow sneaking up on her and overpowering her. From what I heard, he trapped her against a tree and made her watch as he devoured her son. Afterwards, the hollow opened a garganta and went back to Hueco Mundo, leaving her shattered." Momo wiped her eyes and looked up to see her friend's face serous for the first time that night.

"Lieutenant Kurosaki was devastated and didn't speak to anyone for years. She just sat in her room and cried herself to sleep, thinking she could have done something to save her son. As the years went by, she finally recovered and went back to work, but I guess she isn't really the same anymore. She's still friendly to everyone and a loving mother, but she lost the light that was in her eyes all those years ago. It was the only time Captain Kurosaki had ever taken leave. He didn't care if his position was stripped from him or if he disgraced his family; he just wanted to comfort his wife." Momo sniffled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Karin was devastated by the loss of her brother. She looked up and adored him. He was always there to protect and play with her when no one else would. They were more alike than her twin sister, Yuzu. I think another reason she despises her position is that she feels like she's his replacement." She finally stopped to wipe her eyes once more, and Rangiku wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Poor thing, I can't blame her," she whispered, and the two men nodded, finally understanding a little more about the lieutenant of the tenth division.

* * *

Like I said, the roles are different in this fic than in the canon for the Gotei 13 (and for the arrancars as well, but they have their own setup) C – Captain L - Lieutenant

**1st** C. Yamamoto. L. Hitsugaya (had to place him somewhere otherwise ppl would be asking about him). **2nd** C Yoruichi L SoiFon **3rd** C Gin Ichimaru L Izuru **4th** C Unohana L Masaki 3rd Isane 6th seat Yuzu Kurosaki **5th** C Shinji L Momo **6th** C Byakuya L Renji **7th** C Aizen L Unknown **8th** C Shunsui L Lisa **9th** C Kensei L Mashiro 3rd Hisagi **10t**h C Isshin L Karin **11th** Kenpachi L Yachiru **12th**C Urahara L Hiyori **13th** C Ukitake L Kaien

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed, and please review !


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